20/08/2026
Older houses are full of awkward recesses. The alcoves either side of a chimney breast, the shallow dip of a bay window, the odd nook left by a blocked up doorway. None of them take standard furniture.
Here is the thing about chimney breast alcoves: they look symmetrical and almost never are. Original brickwork, later plastering and decades of alterations mean the two recesses differ in width, depth or both. Walls bow too, so a recess is often wider at the skirting than at picture rail height. Push a flat pack bookcase in and you get a wedge of daylight down one side.
Built in joinery is made to the shape that is actually there. We measure each recess separately and build each unit to its own opening, then keep the visible details identical, so shelf heights, door lines and paint all match. The eye reads those details, not the couple of centimetres difference.
Bays are harder because of the angles, and splayed bays have corners that are only roughly the angle they appear. So bay work starts with a physical template rather than numbers. Window seats are the popular choice, though drawers or front opening doors usually beat a lift up lid you have to clear cushions off every time.
If there is a radiator under the bay it needs a grille or an open front, otherwise you are heating the inside of a cabinet instead of the room.
Running your existing skirting profile along the base is what makes it look original rather than added on.
Read more in our blog: https://bit.ly/3Ubn4R9
